Start a list item with [ ] for an empty checkbox or [x] for a ticked one. Task lists come from GitHub Flavored Markdown; on GitHub they are clickable in issues and pull requests, and most editors render them as checkboxes.
All ways to write it
A list item that starts with brackets and a space.GitHub Flavored Markdown- [ ] Open task
An x (or X) between the brackets ticks it.GitHub Flavored Markdown- [x] Done task
Example
You type
Launch checklist:
- [x] Listing copy approved
- [x] Screenshots uploaded
- [ ] Docs page published
- [ ] Announcement post scheduledYou get
Launch checklist:
- Listing copy approved
- Screenshots uploaded
- Docs page published
- Announcement post scheduled
Questions
Why are my checkboxes showing as [ ] text?
Check for the space inside the brackets ([ ] not []) and the space after them. Plain CommonMark renderers without the GitHub extensions don't support task lists at all.
Can I nest task lists?
Yes. Indent the child items like any nested list: " - [ ] Subtask".
Checkbox (task list) in Confluence
Markdown Importer converts Markdown task lists into native Confluence checkboxes that people can tick on the page. Inside a Markdown Macro+ macro, task lists render as checkboxes in the preview. Going the other way, Markdown Exporter writes Confluence task lists out as - [ ] and - [x].